"Pamper" matters. Baby stool, normal and deviation options

Every mother worries about her newborn baby- There are a lot of reasons for concern. And often, loose stools in a baby also become a cause of concern. Today we will talk about this problem in more detail.

In the first days of life, a baby's stool has a greenish-black tint. This is the so-called original feces, which is completely normal. Within seven days, the stool returns to normal, and its color becomes yellow-orange. An alarming sign is considered if chair has a green tint and liquid consistency. This may be due to the development of dysbiosis. In this case, the stool acquires a disgusting and pungent odor. Although in the first few months after birth, a small amount of green particles and mucus may be present in the baby's stool, since the gastrointestinal tract is just beginning to adapt to the various foods that his mother eats. The stool of artificial infants depends, first of all, on the formula that the mother feeds him. As a rule, it is not as frequent and has greater density than infant stool.

First feeding period.

First feeding and the first solid food provoke a change in stool. For this reason, the color of the stool from this moment indicates both the state of the baby’s health and the food he eats. Foods of plant origin give stool a green tint, beets - red, and carrots - orange. Dark-colored stool may indicate that the child has eaten a lot of meat, or is receiving medications that contain iron.

Reasons for concern.

If you notice red-brown spots in your baby's stool, do not ignore this fact, as this may be blood. Be sure to consult your doctor about this.

Another reason to see a doctor is if your baby has been passing light yellow or white stools for a long period of time. In this case, the doctor will recommend taking stool analysis. This may determine the cause. This shade may indicate a malfunction of the intestines or liver. Problems with stool can also be caused by diathesis.

Green stool may be caused by taking antibiotics, for this reason many doctors advise taking probiotics along with them. If the stool has a strong odor, this may indicate an excessive amount of protein. And an excess of carbohydrates, which are quite poorly absorbed body, will color the stool with a yellow-green tint. If the stool has a liquid consistency and contains mucus, the baby may have inflammation in the intestines.

Exactly because of this reason parents should monitor changes in the child’s stool in order to promptly notice the problem and take appropriate measures to eliminate it.

The second problem could be frequency chair. There are no specific norms in this matter, since each child has an individual body. In the first months of life, the baby can empty the intestines after each feeding, and by five months - up to three times a day. After the introduction of complementary foods, bowel movements occur once a day. There is no need to panic if your child has not had a bowel movement during the day. It is believed that constipation can only occur if the child has not pooped for two days.

It is important to pay attention not only to the color and composition of the child’s stool, but also to the general state baby. If the child eats well, is not capricious, has fun and plays, then there is no need to worry. Remember that the most important thing is the health of the child, not the contents of the diaper.

All parents treat the health of their child with special care. Any changes bring a lot of anxiety. Even after finding grains in a baby’s stool, some may experience real panic when there is practically nothing to worry about. In order for mothers to be calm and react correctly to changes in their baby’s stool, it is necessary to consider a number of the most common problems associated with feces in infants.

Fecal abnormalities in infants

Streaks in baby's stool

When zealous parents discover bloody streaks in their baby's stool, the only thing they want to do is call an ambulance. At the same time, the baby is very active, gaining weight well, his tummy does not bother him and the tests are quite normal. Streaks of blood in the stool of a completely healthy child may appear due to intolerance to the proteins contained in cow's milk. In order for the streaks in the stool of a breastfed baby to disappear, the mother needs to stop consuming dairy products and the baby’s stool will be restored.

Leukocytes in infant stool

The baby's health is normal if the leukocytes are in the range from 8 to 10. When the leukocytes in the baby's stool exceed the norm, this may indicate a number of problems. Among the most common:

  • Dysbacteriosis.
  • Ulcerative colitis, studies show an increased number of neutrophils.
  • Follicular enteritis. Elevated leukocytes in the feces of infants provoke the appearance of mucus.
  • Constipation or spastic colitis.
  • Dysentery. The number of neutrophils is greatly increased, bowel movements are very frequent and liquid. Severe intoxication of the body occurs.
  • Allergic colitis. Along with the increased number of leukocytes, there is a sharp increase in the level of eosinophils.

When the leukocytes in a baby's stool are very high, a change in its consistency, smell and quantity of stool is observed.

Staphylococcus in the stool of a baby

There is no need to worry about the fact that staphylococcus is present in a small amount in a baby’s stool. It appears even in absolutely healthy babies who did not have any problems in the first weeks or months of life. Staphylococcus may be accompanied by constipation, increased gas formation, and colic. Often, babies cannot go to the toilet on their own. No special treatment is needed. It is worth balancing the mother’s diet, increasing the child’s physical activity, increasing the number of belly rubs, and giving regular tummy massages. Staphylococcus in a baby's stool indicates dysbacteriosis, which can and should be dealt with. Especially in the first stages of life.

Carbohydrates in infant stool

In order to prevent lactase deficiency in babies in the first year of life, carbohydrates in the baby’s stool should be determined. Thanks to this analysis, it is possible to identify the ability to digest and absorb fats and sugars of natural origin. The main reason for the inability to accept fats and sugars of animal origin is the underdevelopment of the gastrointestinal tract or dysbiosis that develops in infants in the first months of life.

The fewer carbohydrates in feces, the better the baby’s body functions.

Black in baby's stool

Sometimes various inclusions may appear in a child’s bowel movements. Black in the stool of a fully breastfed baby appears due to insufficiently absorbed calcium. For children already receiving complementary foods, a similar phenomenon is typical after consuming flour products with poppy seeds, kiwi or banana.

There is no need to worry about the fact that black in the baby’s stool is the result of internal bleeding. Such deviations are typical only for adults. In addition, the speed of food passing through the esophagus is very high, which is why the blood does not have time to darken.

Lumps in baby's stool

Pediatricians consider it quite normal if white lumps are observed in a baby’s stool. Often, if such impurities appear, the reason is very banal: overeating. The baby is put to the breast on demand and the entire amount of food does not have time to be absorbed.

Red in baby's stool

The reason why red appears in a baby's stool may be dysbacteriosis and some other gastrointestinal diseases. In this case, blood can appear either with every bowel movement or quite rarely.

If the red in the baby’s stool does not in any way resemble bloody spots, then the reason may be the red foods consumed by the nursing mother: beets, pomegranates, tomatoes. If the baby is already receiving complementary foods, then the reason lies in new red-colored foods that are not completely processed during passage through the esophagus.

Grains in baby's stool

If grains appear in the baby’s stool, then there is no need to worry about this. Often the cause of their occurrence is: overfeeding, insufficient absorption of calcium or improper nutrition of the mother.

Fat in baby's stool

As a result of the immaturity of the pancreas, fat is observed in the feces of infants. Most often, such stool occurs in infants who were born prematurely or have abnormalities in the process of intrauterine development. In some cases, similar bowel movements occur in children with various diseases of the liver or biliary tract.

Protein in baby's stool

Quite often, protein in a baby’s stool appears during the course of inflammatory diseases in the baby’s intestines. Additional reasons why the protein norm increases may be putrefactive dispersion or ulcerative colitis.

Clostridia in infant stool

It is worth paying special attention to the fact that clostridia were found in the feces of infants. Often the cause is intestinal dysbiosis, which occurs against the background of an increased amount of protein. If dysbiosis itself is not very dangerous, then the diseases to which it can lead are very alarming. Clostridia in the feces of an infant can lead to putrefactive dispersion, tetanus, botulism, necrotic enteritis, or the presence of an anaerobic infection.

Foam in baby's stool

It’s too early to panic about foam appearing in a baby’s stool. Almost always, such a reaction occurs to a change in the mother’s diet or the introduction of complementary foods. In addition, during the process of “maturation” of the gastrointestinal tract, various changes can be observed: foam, bloody spots, lumps, etc.

Foam in a baby's stool can also be caused by dysbacteriosis or an infection introduced into the body. If no other impurities are observed against the background of foam and the child feels well, then his body is normal.

Flakes in baby's stool

Almost always, flakes appear in a baby’s stool due to a lack of enzymes capable of digesting incoming food, or rather breast milk. In addition, the baby may have an excellent appetite and absorb more than he can absorb, or the mother may have very fatty milk. Flakes in a baby's stool are a passing phenomenon.

Detritus in infant stool

It is quite normal if detritus is found in the stool of a baby. It is simply a product of the body's work. How well the food is processed is evidenced by detritus. It contains everything that the baby and his mother consumed. The better the baby’s digestive system works, the more crushed the particles can be shown by the corpogram.

Enterococci in infant stool

In the first months of life, enterococci perform a very important function: they help absorb various organic substances. Therefore, if you find enterococci in a baby’s stool that is slightly higher than normal, you should not think about the bad. Quite often, the number of enterococci can be quite high. Against this background, dysbiosis can develop, which subsequently provokes various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

In some cases, the main carrier of enterococci is the nursing mother, who transmits them in large quantities through breast milk.

Clots in baby's stool

In small quantities, clots may be present in the stool of an infant from time to time. They can consist of both mucus and blood. In this case, it is necessary to focus on the child’s behavior. If he is bothered by abdominal pain, is irritable, and often cries, then the cause of the clots may be either dysbacteriosis or an infectious disease. A corpogram should be made.

Bilirubin in infant stool

In the first months of life, bilirubin should be present in the feces of an infant, since the bacterial flora of the intestine is not sufficiently developed. Up to nine months, bilirubin is processed into stercobilin. From 9 months, bilirubin should be completely absent. If bilirubin is detected, then its cause may be:

  • accelerated intestinal motility;
  • lack of bacteria;
  • antibiotics;
  • tendency to rapid evacuation of feces from the intestines.

If bilirubin in the feces of an infant is present in minimal proportions, then the risk of developing or having diseases is very low.

Klebsiella in baby's stool

If the corpogram shows that Klebsiella is present in large quantities in the baby’s stool, then you need to act as soon as possible. Otherwise, along with bloating, dysbacteriosis, constant pain in the intestines, the baby can get a number of rather unpleasant diseases (sinusitis, conjunctivitis, gastrointestinal diseases, pneumonia, meningitis).

Starch in infant stool

Having discovered starch in a baby’s feces, you need to carefully examine its gastrointestinal tract. Perhaps the reason for the failure of starches to break down is accelerated evacuation of intestinal contents, gastritis, and fermentation dispersion. Over time, pancreatitis may develop. Starch in a baby’s stool is not normal, and the sooner the cause of its occurrence is identified, the better.

Red blood cells in the stool of an infant

Normally, red blood cells should be completely absent in the feces of a baby. Their appearance indicates a number of diseases or bleeding. In this case, along with them, there should also be blood in the baby’s stool.

Bacteria in baby's stool

Often, bacteria in a baby's stool appear against the background of dysbacteriosis. Whatever type of bacteria is detected by the corpogram, timely treatment should be carried out in order to prevent degeneration into a more severe form of gastrointestinal diseases.

Whatever is detected in the baby’s stool, the test results should be examined by a pediatrician and, if necessary, prescribed appropriate treatment. There is no need to look for answers to questions and select medications on your own. In some cases, deviations from the norm, against the background of good health in the child, are only a temporary phenomenon.

With the birth of a child, a mother has a lot of fears related to the baby’s health and proper care for him. These fears are not difficult to allay.

Young parents look at the contents of a baby's diaper with interest and trepidation... Is this a familiar picture? The stool often causes anxiety in the mother and can really tell about the health and unhealthiness of the baby - you just need to be able to “read between the lines,” that is, understand the signs of the body.

Let's get to know the norm

While the baby lives and develops in the mother's womb, it accumulates in his intestines. meconium. It is a homogeneous tar-like mass of dark olive, almost black color, practically odorless. It consists of condensed cells of the intestinal mucosa, amniotic fluid swallowed by the baby, etc. Normally, meconium begins to be released from the baby’s intestines after birth and is therefore also called original feces(sometimes meconium is excreted in utero: if the course of labor is unfavorable or at the very end of pregnancy, oxygen starvation of the fetus causes premature bowel movement, in this case meconium enters the amniotic fluid and turns it green). The baby's stool is usually represented by meconium in the first two or three days, that is, until the mother produces a large amount of milk. Sometimes it happens that after the bulk of the meconium has passed, say, during the first day, until the mother’s milk arrives, the baby may not have any stool at all. This is due to the fact that the colostrum, which the baby eats in the first few days, is absorbed by the body almost completely, so that there are no toxins left in the intestines - therefore, there is simply nothing to be excreted.

After the mother has established active lactation, the baby’s stool gradually becomes mature, usually passing through a transitional stage. Transitional is called a stool that combines the features of original feces and mature stool; it has a mushy consistency, yellow-green color and a sour odor. Mature the stool is distinguished by its pure yellow color, homogeneous mushy consistency (it is often compared to thin sour cream), and the smell of sour milk. Its frequency is higher, the younger the child: in the first weeks after birth, bowel movements can occur almost after every feeding, that is, reach 5-8, and sometimes 10 times per day.


Gradually, stool is reduced to approximately 1-3 times a day, but there is a rare variant of the norm when mother’s milk is so completely absorbed by the baby’s body that almost no undigested residue accumulates in his intestines. In this case, bowel movements can occur once every few days, sometimes even once a week. This is due to the fact that only sufficient filling of the large intestine with waste (undigested food debris) is a signal for contractions of the intestinal walls, leading to emptying. That is why the intestines must first “accumulate” the remains in order to then throw them out. As a rule, this feature of the absorption of mother's milk becomes obvious in babies no earlier than 1.5-3 months. Let's make a reservation: the frequency of stool once every few days can be considered normal only if three conditions are met: with completely natural feeding (that is, the baby does not receive anything other than mother's milk), age of at least 1.5 months and the absence of any signs of ill health - pain and bloating in the abdomen, discomfort and difficulty during bowel movements - that is, when the baby eats well, gains weight correctly and nothing bothers him.

Stool during artificial or mixed feeding may be no different from normal, mature breastfeeding stool, or may have a more “grown-up”, putrid odor, thicker consistency, and a darker, brownish color. Bowel movements during mixed or artificial feeding should occur at least once a day; anything else is considered constipation.

Now that we have become familiar with the “ideal” course of the process, it is necessary to become familiar with possible deviations from this.

Greens in the chair

It often happens that the “correct” type of stool is not established for a long time, and even against the background of active lactation in the mother, the stool for a long time retains the features of a transitional one, that is, it has a clear greenish tint, sometimes mucus is also found in it. There are several reasons for this.

  • Malnutrition(the so-called “hungry” stool). This often occurs due to a lack of milk from the mother. Factors that make it more difficult for a baby to “extract” milk from the breast can also be flat and inverted nipples and tight breasts, especially after the first birth.
  • The predominance of fruits and vegetables in the diet of a nursing woman in comparison with other products.
  • Inflammation of the intestinal mucosa in a baby. A very common reason for this is fetal hypoxia (oxygen starvation) experienced during pregnancy and/or childbirth. This pathological condition affects many tissues in the body, including the intestinal mucosa, which then takes quite a long time to recover. In addition, inflammation of the intestinal mucosa can be caused by the influence of synthetic substances - flavors, dyes and preservatives and any artificial compounds present in the mother's diet, penetrating into breast milk and affecting directly the intestinal mucosa, i.e. the mother's consumption of products containing synthetic additives: sausages, smoked meats, all types of canned food, industrial juices, dairy products with fruit and other aromatic fillers. Finally, a very common cause of intestinal inflammation is a disruption of the normal intestinal microflora - in other words, intestinal dysbiosis (or dysbiosis), when representatives of the normal microflora become few, but so-called opportunistic microbes multiply, that is, pathogens that, under unfavorable conditions, can cause inflammation in the intestines. In this case, the mucous membrane suffers as a result of the influence of opportunistic microorganisms and their metabolic products. The risk of development increases significantly if the mother and/or baby were prescribed antibacterial drugs.

What to do? If there is greenery in the stool, the first thing to do is to rule out malnutrition in the baby. Of course, in addition to stool disorders, other symptoms will be noted: the baby may show dissatisfaction at the breast, if milk is poorly released from the nipple, he does not fall asleep after feeding and / or never stands more than 1-1.5 hours between feedings, he has the rate of weight gain and growth is reduced. With severe malnutrition, the number of urinations may decrease in a child (normally it is at least 6-8 per day), urine may be more concentrated (normally it is almost colorless and has only a slight odor). Next, you should act according to the situation: if lactation is insufficient - switch to feeding “on demand” or “at the first cry”, put the baby to the breast more often, allow him to stay at the breast as much as he wants, give both breasts at one feeding, be sure to feed breastfeeding overnight, take medications that stimulate lactation. If the cause of malnutrition lies in the irregular shape of the nipples, it may be worth using special nipple shields during feeding. In any case, if you suspect your baby is malnourished, it is better to contact your pediatrician, as well as a lactation consultant.

With artificial feeding, constipation is much more common.

Next, you should carefully check your mother’s diet. All products containing synthetic additives are subject to unconditional exclusion. We should not forget that often the cause of intestinal inflammation in a baby can be synthetic vitamin preparations taken by the mother (including for pregnant and lactating women), so it is necessary to exclude their intake. You should also make sure that the amount of fruits and vegetables in the diet does not exceed other products (these “gifts of the earth” contain a large amount of acids, an excess of which in breast milk can cause inflammation of the mucous membrane in the baby’s intestines).


Now that we have created all possible prerequisites for proper nutrition of the baby, we should be guided by his well-being. If the baby is gaining good height and weight, he is not bothered by abdominal pain and allergic reactions, he is generally healthy and cheerful, and is interested in the world around him according to his age, then the only symptom - the green color of the stool - can be ignored: most likely he will reflect the consequences or presence of intestinal dysbiosis in the baby. In the human body, especially one that has recently been born, everything proceeds according to its own laws and at an individual speed. Colonization of the intestines with the “right” microbes is not a process of one day or even one week, so even in completely healthy children, transitional stool can persist for up to a month or even more. If this does not interfere with the baby’s normal development, you can not interfere with this process. Still, no drug has yet been created for dysbiosis better than breast milk. The only thing that doesn’t hurt to do if there are lingering signs of dysbiosis is to submit the mother’s milk for culture to make sure that it does not contain pathogenic microbes (if any are detected, their sensitivity to antibacterial drugs must be determined, then the mother is treated with the most effective antibiotics for this case - During this period, breastfeeding is usually stopped).

If not everything is fine in the baby’s well-being (for example, he is tormented by intestinal colic, or skin allergic reactions are noted, or he is not gaining enough weight and height), then you should undergo some tests - a coprogram and a stool flora analysis (or, as they say , for dysbacteriosis). The coprogram will show how the digestion processes are progressing in the intestines and can confirm the presence of inflammation of the mucous membrane (this will be indicated by an increase in the number in the stool, a sharply acidic reaction, and the presence of hidden blood). In a flora analysis, the main attention should be paid to the presence and/or quantity of pathogenic microorganisms - those that should not normally be found in the intestines or the number of which should not exceed certain limits. The number of “friendly” microbes may be completely indicative if the stool is analyzed later than two hours after collection. Since this is exactly what happens in the vast majority of cases, you don’t need to pay much attention to the number of normal microbes in this analysis. The detection of pathogenic (disease-causing) microbes (provided that the mother's milk has been analyzed and the mother has been treated, if necessary) is the reason for prescribing special medications to the baby. As a rule, treatment is carried out with phages - special viruses that destroy a certain type of pathogenic microbes and do not affect the flora as a whole. In some cases, antibacterial drugs may be prescribed, taking into account the sensitivity of pathogenic bacteria to them. Treatment is completed with drugs that help restore normal microflora.

White lumps in baby's stool

Sometimes you can see white lumps in the baby’s stool, as if someone had mixed coarse cottage cheese into it. If this symptom is noted against the background of normal physical (gaining weight and growing well), then it is evidence of some overeating: more nutrients enter the body than it needs to satisfy real needs (when the breast is offered not only to satisfy hunger, but also any reassurance). There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, since the baby’s body is perfectly adapted to such “overkill”: it simply throws out the excess in the form of such undigested white lumps. Nowadays, when the policy of feeding “at first cry” has been taken, most healthy children at least from time to time have this feature of their stool. If this symptom is accompanied by a lack of weight or height, especially if this lag worsens, most likely there is an enzymatic deficiency of the digestive glands, which does not allow the incoming nutrients to be properly digested. In this case, a pediatrician or gastroenterologist may prescribe enzyme replacement therapy.

Sometimes you can see white lumps in your baby's stool.

Lactase deficiency

Quite often, parents may encounter that the baby’s stool is liquefied, watery, sometimes foams, has a sharper sour smell, and in some cases a changed color - mustard or greenish. On a cotton diaper, such feces leave a water zone around it. Often, stool is passed in small portions even when gas is passed. An acidic stool reaction often causes stubborn stools. This picture is observed when the digestion of lactose - milk sugar is impaired, when for some reason the amount of lactose entering the intestines with mother's milk exceeds the amount of the lactase enzyme necessary for its digestion. This can either be due to an excess of lactose in milk (hereditary predisposition of the mother , an excess of fresh milk and dairy products in her diet), or with reduced production of lactase by the baby’s digestive glands. Undigested carbohydrates “pull” a large amount of water into the intestinal lumen, which is why stool has a liquefied, watery character.

Often, lactase deficiency is accompanied by intestinal dysbiosis: the acidic reaction of intestinal contents prevents the colonization of the intestines with the correct flora, and the lack of the required amount of beneficial microorganisms, in turn, reduces the ability to digest carbohydrates. If this does not interfere with the baby’s development (as we have already said, its signs are normal growth and weight gain, the absence of intestinal colic and persistent diaper rash), this condition can be left without treatment. In the vast majority of cases, lactase deficiency is a transient problem and disappears without a trace with age (by about 9-12 months, the activity of the digestive glands increases so much that the baby’s body can easily cope not only with fermented milk products, but also with fresh milk). Severe and lifelong disorders of lactase production are almost always genetically determined: I should think about this type of hereditary disease if close relatives in the family suffer from lactase deficiency in adulthood. To confirm the diagnosis, in addition to a scatological examination, a stool test for carbohydrates is performed. If lactase deficiency is confirmed, the mother should first adjust her diet: exclude fresh milk; if this step is ineffective, significantly reduce the amount of fermented milk products (the exception is cheese, which contains virtually no milk sugar). If all of these measures fail, your doctor may prescribe lactase replacement therapy.

Constipation in infants

Constipation is considered to be the absence of independent stool for more than a day (of course, except in cases of complete digestion of milk), as well as cases when bowel movements are difficult and accompanied by significant discomfort.

Constipation is quite rare during breastfeeding, and there are two main reasons for it: poor nutrition of the mother and impaired intestinal motility, including spasm of the anal sphincter.

Improper nutrition of the mother is expressed by a tendency towards foods rich in proteins and easily digestible carbohydrates, a lack of dietary fiber. Therefore, if constipation occurs in the baby, the mother should first normalize her diet: give preference to cereals (especially buckwheat, brown rice, oatmeal), whole grains bread, include boiled vegetables in the diet. Some products (peaches, apricots, prunes, dried apricots, figs, boiled beets, fresh kefir) have pronounced laxative properties. In many cases, they will normalize not only your own stool, but also the baby’s stool.

If such measures do not lead to anything, most likely there is a violation of intestinal motility (or, on the contrary, a spasm) and/or a spasm of the anal sphincter. When the sphincter spasms, the passage of gases from the intestines is also difficult, so constipation is often accompanied by severe intestinal colic. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to combat these conditions with home methods, since they are associated with a violation of the nervous regulation of smooth muscle tone and are consequences of birth trauma or an unfavorable course of pregnancy. If they are accompanied by other symptoms that force you to consult a neurologist (excitability or, conversely, lethargy of the baby, sleep disturbances, weather dependence, muscle tone disorders, etc.), then the treatment prescribed by him for problems with the central nervous system often helps to improve the situation with constipation. If, in the absence of stool, the baby is bothered by pain and/or bloating in the abdomen, you can try installing a gas outlet tube, which will gently stimulate the anus. With artificial feeding, constipation, unfortunately, is much more common, since the digestion of infant formula is a great difficulty for the baby's digestive system. In many cases, the situation can be normalized by replacing half of the baby’s daily diet with fermented milk formula (sour milk formula can be gradually introduced after 3 weeks of life). After 4-6 months of life, you can introduce decoction and puree of prunes into your baby’s diet, which help cope with constipation in most cases.

02/05/2010 17:07:39, Elena Sh

Ekaterina Bykova

19.04.2015 | 241

Young parents, when changing their baby's diaper, often take a closer look at its contents. After all, a newborn’s stool can say a lot about the baby’s health.

At the same time, its regularity, consistency and color are important.

So, what are the features of a newborn’s stool and what health problems can he tell about?

Features of the baby's stool

While the child is in the mother's womb, his gastrointestinal tract is absolutely sterile: there are no bacteria there. Further, during the process of childbirth and close communication with the mother, bacteria from the environment enter the baby’s body.

Let's look at the types of chairs

1. Meakonium- baby's first stool. This is a black mass consisting of bile, water, prenatal hair, etc.

By the third day of life, the child may experience intestinal upset. There may be mucus and lumps in the stool.

2. Transitional feces has a greenish color and a more liquid consistency.

3. Mature stool It has a yellow color and a mushy consistency.

During the first 30 days of life, a baby can poop up to twelve times a day, after each feeding. Then a certain feeding regime is formed, and the child defecates at approximately the same time. The number of bowel movements is gradually reduced.

Dietary features and stool

It is important for parents to understand that the consistency and color of a newborn’s stool will depend on whether the baby is breastfed or, for one reason or another, receives artificial nutrition.

  • Breast-feeding. The stool is usually yellow in color, reminiscent of fatty sour cream.
  • Artificial feeding. A newborn's stool is often darker in color and has an unpleasant odor.

What problems does feces indicate?

Let's list the options for “problematic” feces:

  1. Green chair speaks of intestinal inflammation or malnutrition.
  2. Loose stool indicates some problems in digesting lactose.
  3. Lumps that look like cottage cheese appear when the mother feeds the child too often, therefore, excess nutrients enter his body.
  4. Blood in stool. Do not immediately panic if you find bloody streaks in your child’s stool. They can result from constipation and possible anal fissures. But in any case, in order to exclude more serious pathologies, it is necessary to show the baby to a doctor.
  5. Constipation Babies who eat artificial formula are more often tormented. If we are talking about similar problems during breastfeeding, then the reasons for this are the following: either the mother is not eating correctly (there is not enough dietary fiber in the diet), or impaired intestinal motility in the newborn is to blame.

If you notice that the child’s stool has changed dramatically in color or consistency, “green” has appeared in it, or the child does not go to the toilet at all, you need to visit a pediatrician. In any case, this factor cannot be ignored and you need to constantly look into the diaper.

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One of the main problems of parents of babies is the child's stool. Parents always think that it is their child who is doing “this” in a completely different way than required, and they are ready to go through hundreds of studies in order to find non-existent problems. Two problems - constipation and diarrhea - are sometimes caused by parents themselves. However, absolutely normal “major results” of a child’s life activity are often considered a problem. To be able to distinguish normal stool from problematic stool, you need to know the norms. Let's talk about them.

Infant chair

The stool of children of different types of nutrition differs significantly in quality and appearance. Therefore, you cannot compare the contents of diapers for a baby and an artificial baby. Due to fully digestible nutrition of ideal composition, infants very rarely have problems with stool only in the case of real illness. By definition, breast milk cannot cause any digestive problems. However, it is these children who have the most imaginary problems.

The biggest questions are raised by the number of bowel movements a child has: usually from 8-10, almost after every feeding, with a volume of about a teaspoon, to once every 5-7 days, but in a larger volume. This phenomenon is called physiologically rare stool; it occurs due to the almost complete digestibility of breast milk - there is simply no “waste” left.

It is quite acceptable for stool to appear “watery”, with a yellow color and interspersed with white lumps, stool when farting, or a porridge-like mass. For a baby up to 6-7 months, stool with mucus, lumps, pieces and even greens is quite normal - this is the formation of microflora and the work of enzymes - there is no need to get involved with “therapeutic” measures in this process. If, with any type of stool, the child is cheerful and healthy, smiles, farts well, eats and sleeps, gains height and weight - this is normal and the child has no problems with stool.

What not to do

Many parents, when the baby does not have stool, try to look for constipation in the child and begin to treat it with barbaric methods. I advise you to first try all the “treatment” methods on yourself, and then apply them to your child. It is forbidden to induce stool by inserting a piece of soap, cotton swabs, the tip of a thermometer or other foreign objects into the rectum!

The introduction of soap into the rectum causes irritation and chemical burns of the rectal mucosa, this causes sharp pain in the child, and inflammation of the rectum disrupts its normal functioning.

Inserting thermometers and sticks into the rectum leads to mechanical injury and disruption of the intestinal sphincter apparatus, which can lead to disruption of the coordinated functioning of the intestines and the formation of true constipation. All artificial stimulants suppress the natural urge to defecate, and children stop going to the toilet “in a big way” on their own, only with stimulants. For reflex defecation to occur, it is necessary to create a certain pressure of feces in the lumen of the rectum, which will send an impulse from the rectum to the brain and open the sphincter. It may take several days for the volume to accumulate.

In addition, you should not supplement your child with various drops, teas and infusions - espumizan, smecta, plantex, dill tea - you should not, unless absolutely necessary, interfere with the process of physiological formation of intestinal microflora and the formation of enzyme activity.

How is bowel function established?

After the baby is born and the first cry, its microflora is formed - the baby receives it from the air, from the skin of the mother’s perineum and chest, and this microflora begins to populate the intestines. In the first two to three days of his life, he empties his bowels of meconium, a dark, olive-colored mass similar to glue or plasticine. These are the remains of intestinal epithelial cells and digested amniotic fluid during nine months of pregnancy. When amniotic fluid is swallowed, the baby trains its digestion to work after birth. Meconium has virtually no odor; it is very difficult to wash off diapers and the butt. In the first three days it should completely go away and then the nature of the stool will change.

The stool begins to liquefy, becomes more frequent, and heterogeneous inclusions appear in it - liquid, mucus and whitish lumps; its color is also heterogeneous - there may be areas of dark color with yellow fragments, whitish and colorless, watery. Bowel movements may occur six or more times a day. This stool is called transitional, and it means the colonization of the intestine with microflora and the inclusion of enzymes in the digestive process. As the intestinal sections colonize, the stool can take on different appearances and colors due to irritation of the intestinal wall by microbes and the formation of intestinal immunity. In about one to two weeks, the stool begins to return to normal - it becomes homogeneous, mushy, yellow in color, occurs less frequently and ceases to contain impurities and mucus. This is facilitated by exclusive breastfeeding - if the baby is not given pacifiers, bottles or additional food and drink. If this is present, the correct physiological stool will take longer to form.

From the moment lactation is established and the microflora in the intestines settles down, the baby begins to go to the toilet with “mature” stool - this is a bright yellow homogeneous paste with the consistency of thick sour cream with the smell of cottage cheese. This indicates good absorption of milk, although its frequency can vary from several times a day to once every 5-7 days. Such rare stools are normal during breastfeeding. At the same time, the baby’s health is excellent if he has enough milk and there are no additional supplements or supplements. At the age of 2-4 months, there are usually from 15-20 to approximately 50 grams of feces per day. With the introduction of complementary foods, stools begin to take shape, become less frequent and change in character.

Artificial Chair

Typically, stool in bottle-fed children has a thicker consistency, darker color (from greenish to brown), and occurs from several times a day to once every one or two days. If bowel movements occur less frequently, the formula most likely causes constipation or you are not giving your child enough water. On average, children on IV poop 1-2 times a day, the amount of feces is about 30 g. Due to the predominance of rotting processes, the stool contains E. coli and bifid flora, there may be some mucus and whitish crumbs; this indicates that the baby has not yet fully absorbed the fats of the formula, or you have overfed him.

With the introduction of complementary foods, the stool thickens and begins to form into a soft sausage or mush, the color becomes dark brown, there are no impurities in the form of blood or mucus. The frequency of stool is 1-2 times a day.

This is the stool that should ideally be and which reflects the full functioning of the intestines. But there are variants of deviation from the norm that are not considered a pathology, but are very frightening for parents. Then moms and dads demand immediate action from the doctor, which is unnecessary and can only do harm. But how can we understand where “this” came from in the diaper?

Variants of norm and deviation

Often, white lumps similar to curdled milk are found in a child's stool. With good or excessive weight gain, they indicate some excess supply of milk or formula; This happens when a child receives breastfeeding on demand. This is a good sign: there is more than enough milk, it’s just that some amount of protein and fat does not have time to be processed by enzymes and comes out unchanged - a milk residue is formed. But if, with a large number of lumps in the stool, the child does not gain weight well, this usually indicates a deficiency of enzymes (primarily the liver and pancreas), that is, the intestines cannot cope with the digestion of food. In this situation, the doctor may prescribe enzyme preparations during intestinal maturation.

Often, the stool may have a thinner, even watery consistency with foam, be splashy or have a watery edge on the diaper, and have a sour smell. Sometimes such stools pass when gas is released - in small portions. The stool is yellow or mustard in color, unchanged. This condition is called milk imbalance or transient lactase deficiency. If a child receives a lot of milk, rich in milk sugar (lactose) and liquid, then lactase, an enzyme of which there is still a limited amount in the child’s intestines, simply does not have time to cope with the entire amount of milk sugar received. Then part of it enters the intestines and is fermented by microbes into gas and water - this is how excess gas formation and active metabolites appear - including lactic acid, which irritates the intestinal walls and causes increased peristalsis and loose stools. If washing is not thorough enough, irritation of the anal area may occur - it is necessary to use a protective cream. Correcting the situation is quite simple - there is no need to “save” milk, it is necessary that the breasts are always soft. Then the baby will receive hind milk, low in lactose, but higher in calories.

However, often in such a situation, a diagnosis of lactase deficiency is unreasonably made, which does not reflect the true picture. Lactase deficiency is manifested by poor weight gain, which cannot be corrected even with normal breastfeeding. This is a congenital defect of the enzyme or its severe deficiency (although over time the enzymes can mature). There is often an excess of lactose (milk sugar) in mother's milk - this is a genetic feature or a consequence of an unbalanced diet. The diagnosis is confirmed by analyzing stool for carbohydrates, and, of course, monitoring the child’s well-being. And with dietary restrictions and lactase administration, the condition normalizes. There is no need to rush to switch your baby from breast milk to lactose-free formulas - lactose is necessary for the body, therefore, breastfeeding even with lactase deficiency and introducing an enzyme to digest lactose would be correct.

The worst thing for parents is the presence of “green” in the stool, which causes panic or thoughts of the most terrible diseases. In fact, in the vast majority of cases in young children (up to about 4-6 months) this is the norm. In the first months of life, a lot of bilirubin (a breakdown product of hemoglobin) is released with feces; it oxidizes to a greenish tint in air. Hence the “romantic” admixture of greenery. Sometimes it happens that a mature stool is not established in any way and the baby’s stool for a long time has an unsightly appearance: with greenery, lumps and threads of mucus. This happens when the baby is malnourished, inactive sucking and other problems - hungry stool. Another reason for such stool is the predominance in a woman’s diet of raw fruits and vegetables with a lack of meat, during hypoxia during childbirth. Then the mucous membrane takes longer and more difficult to restore, and the enzymes mature later.

What should mom do?

First of all, you need to remember the rule - if nothing bothers the child and there are no painful manifestations, he has the right to any stool. Even infants can have a long period of stool formation due to difficult childbirth or the establishment of full breastfeeding. The body is a complex system and everyone has an individual development program; you cannot force everyone to fit a single standard. If a child gains at least 500 g per month, urinates well and often, and there are no painful manifestations, this means that this is his normal stool, no matter what impurities are in it, and there is no need to interfere with the delicate process of adjusting the intestines.

Medicinal correction measures must be used if the child is experiencing severe pain, he screams and presses his legs to his stomach, and the stomach itself is tense; if he develops rashes, itching and has problems with weight and height. It is necessary to consult a doctor, conduct an examination and scatological examination of stool, and adjust the mother’s diet. But stool testing for dysbacteriosis is an absolutely unnecessary and non-indicative test; conducting it is practically pointless.

What should you really be concerned about?

It is necessary to immediately call a doctor or an ambulance if the child has loose stools (mucous or with pieces) in the presence of fever, vomiting or poor health - these are signs of an intestinal infection, and this cannot be the norm. No medications, except maybe smecta, should be given to the child - self-medication in such cases is deadly, dehydration and convulsions may occur.

It is also necessary to pay attention to the retention of stool in a child on IV for more than 2 days - this indicates constipation and may indicate the need to change the formula or feeding regimen. It is also necessary to pay attention to stool retention in infants with rare urination and highly concentrated urine.

In addition, the appearance of a stool in a baby or artificial baby that resembles a dense sausage or “sheep’s balls” requires the intervention of a doctor - these are also manifestations of constipation that require correction.

Particularly dangerous is the appearance of blood, scarlet or coagulated, in the stool. Sometimes small streaks of blood appear when farting with straining due to a crack in the anus. However, these should be isolated and very rare phenomena. The constant presence of blood in the stool can be caused by a number of diseases: allergies and problems with the rectum, infectious diseases and even malformations of the anus.